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Cited by 55Muscle metabolism and nutritionSports Performance and TrainingCardiovascular and exercise physiology

Muscle glycogen supercompensation: absence of a gender-related difference

James, Anthony P., Lorraine, Michael, Cullen, Daelyn, Goodman, Carmel, Dawson, Brian, Palmer, Norman T., Fournier, Paul A.·2001·European Journal of Applied Physiology
DOI 10.1007/s004210100499
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Abstract

Recently it has been reported that women do not have the capacity to accumulate supranormal levels of muscle glycogen when subjected to a carbohydrate (CHO) loading regimen [Tarnopolsky et al. (1995) J Appl Physiol 78:1360-1368]. Since, in this study, CHO intake relative to body mass in the female subjects was much lower than that in males, our primary aim was to re-examine this issue using subjects fed comparable amounts of CHO. Endurance-trained female and male subjects ingested 12 g CHO x kg(-1) lean body mass day(-1) in conjunction with the cessation of their daily physical training. A 3-day exposure to this diet resulted in a marked rise in muscle glycogen levels from [mean (SD)] 108 (15) mmol x kg(-1) wet weight to 193 (14) mmol x kg(-1) wet weight and 111 (16) m mol x kg(-1) wet weight to 202 (20) mmol x kg(-1) wet weight in the female participants during the post-menstrual and pre-menstrual phases of their menstrual cycle, respectively, and from 109 (27) mmol x kg(-1) wet weight to 183 (25) mmol x kg(-1) wet weight in males. We conclude that (1) female athletes have the capacity to accumulate supranormal levels of muscle glycogen, and (2) when exercise-trained males and females are fed comparable amounts of CHO relative to lean body mass, there is no gender-related difference in their ability to accumulate supranormal levels of muscle glycogen.

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  • CHO loading during the mid-follicular phase results in a 17-31% improvement in muscle glycogen but not performance.

    “However, CHO loading during the mid-follicular phase has resulted in a 17–31% improvement in muscle glycogen but not performance [58,59,60].”

    From Considerations of Low Carbohydrate Availability (LCA) to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in Female Endurance Athletes: A Narrative Review (2023) · cites this paper as [59]

  • Research provides conflicting results regarding both the impacts of glycogen super-compensation (or pre-loading) and substrate use during endurance exercise when comparing women to men.

    “When comparing women to men, research provides conflicting results regarding both the impacts of glycogen super-compensation (or pre-loading) (James et al. 2001; Paul et al. 2001; Tarnopolsky et al. 2001; Walker et al. 2000) and substrate use during endurance exercise (Devries 2016; Riddell et al. 2003; Roepstorff et al. 2002; Ruby et al. 2002a; Tarnopolsky and Ruby 2001).”

    From Males and females exhibit similar muscle glycogen recovery with varied recovery food sources (2020) · cites this paper as James et al. 2001

  • Females can super-compensate (or pre-load) their glycogen stores as effectively as males.

    “The current study’s sex similarity also aligns with findings that when men and women are matched for FFM and fitness, whole-body substrate use is similar during exercise (Roepstorff et al. 2002; Ruby et al. 2002a) and that females can super-compensate (or pre-load) their glycogen stores as effectively as males (James et al. 2001; Paul et al. 2001; Tarnopolsky and Ruby 2001; Walker et al. 2000).”

    From Males and females exhibit similar muscle glycogen recovery with varied recovery food sources (2020) · cites this paper as James et al. 2001

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Authors
James, A. P., Lorraine, M., Cullen, D., Goodman, C., Dawson, B., Palmer, N. T., & Fournier, P. A.
Affiliations
  • The University of Western Australia (AU)
  • James Cook University (AU)
Corresponding author
Fournier, Paul A.
ORCID
Venue
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2001-10
Volume
85
Issue
6
Pages
533-538
ISSN
  • 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
  • 1439-6319
DOI
10.1007/s004210100499
OpenAlex
W2012382264
Cited by
55
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
FWCI
0.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
Keywords
carbohydrate loading, sex differences, menstrual cycle, female athletes, endurance athletes, glycogen accumulation
MeSH terms
Adult, Dietary Carbohydrates, Female, Glycogen, Humans, Male, Physical Endurance, Sex Characteristics, Muscle, Skeletal

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